With the Rio 2016 Olympics drawing steadily closer as 2016 progresses, Cycling Canada is inviting supporters of Canadian mountain biking to attend a fundraising gala at Bear Mountain Resort in B.C., just outside Victoria.

With the Rio 2016 Olympics drawing steadily closer as 2016 progresses, Cycling Canada is inviting supporters of Canadian mountain biking to attend a fundraising gala at Bear Mountain Resort in B.C., just outside Victoria. The event takes place on Saturday, March 5.

Appropriately, the gala is called “Road to Rio.”

As the Canadian mountain bike squad’s official high performance training center, a partnership announced in January of last year, Bear Mountain is as close to home as it gets for the athletes with Rio contention in their sights. The gala will take place at the Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort and Spa, and will feature a gourmet dinner, live and silent auctions and, of course, the chance for attendees to meet and greet both Canada’s Olympic hopefuls and the development-level mountain riders also expected to attend.

The 2016 Bear Mountain Canada Cup cross-country competition, too, happens on the same day, putting the location even more firmly in Canada’s cycling spotlight—and drawing both seasoned athletes and those hoping for a breakout in 2016.

Taking advantage of the year-round opportunities offered at Bear Mountain, Canada’s top riders have been training throughout the fall and winter, with Catherine Pendrel—already slated to compete at Rio this summer—being among them. Pendrel extended the invitation to Canadian mountain bike boosters herself.

“I’d like to invite everyone to come and celebrate mountain biking with me and Canada’s best mountain bikers at our Road to Rio fundraiser at Bear Mountain Resort on March 5th,” she said. “This is a great opportunity to meet and support your Olympians and future Olympians as they kick off their 2016 season.”

The event starts at 6:00 pm Pacific time and runs until 10:00, with tickets available for $250 or $1,800 per table. All proceeds, Cycling Canada said, will go towards Canada’s athletes in pursuit of the 2016 podium, while also supporting the development of Canadian cycling beyond 2020. At the local level, the proceeds will also benefit provincial development programming through Cycling BC.

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